The Justice Department sued Iowa on Thursday due to a recent law that prohibits individuals from being in the state if they were previously denied entry into the United States.
SF 2340 makes it illegal for a person to be in Iowa if they were previously deported from the U.S. or have outstanding deportation orders.
“Iowa cannot ignore the U.S. Constitution and established Supreme Court decisions,” said Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The DOJ has taken this action to ensure that Iowa follows the framework set by Congress and the Constitution for immigration regulation.
The lawsuit comes after the Justice Department had warned Iowa last week about potential litigation if the state enforced the law, citing that only the federal government has the authority to enforce immigration laws, based on previous Supreme Court rulings. Boynton stated that the law “essentially creates a separate state immigration system,” which “interferes in an area regulated by the federal government and is preempted.”
The Iowa Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Iowa law comes after a similar law in Texas, which empowered local law enforcement to carry out immigration duties and deport individuals perceived to be migrants to Mexico, irrespective of their country of origin.
Similarly, the DOJ has filed a lawsuit over the Texas law, which is on hold during the ongoing litigation.
The Justice Department lawsuit follows another lawsuit filed earlier on Thursday by the ACLU and the American Immigration Council.
The ACLU remarked, “This unjust law has serious negative impacts on Iowa families and communities. Iowa legislators intentionally targeted individuals protected by federal immigration laws, such as those granted asylum or special visas for survivors of domestic violence or other crimes.
The ACLU also stated, “The federal government enforces immigration laws for various important reasons related to foreign relations, national security, humanitarian interests, and our constitutional system. This law is incredibly concerning and peculiar.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) previously defended the state’s implementation of the law.
“We only passed this law because the Biden Administration refuses to enforce existing laws,” Reynolds stated on the social platform X.
“I have a duty to protect the citizens of Iowa. Unlike the federal government, we will abide by and enforce the rule of law.” The Justice Department has experienced initial success in challenging laws and practices that it views as threats to federal authority. last week.
The DOJ also sued Texas for installing large buoys in the Rio Grande to block migrants and challenged the state's placement of concertina wire along the border, arguing that it impeded U.S. immigration agents.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Iowa on Thursday over a new law that prohibits individuals from being in the state if they were previously denied entry into the United States. The law SF 2340 criminalizes being in Iowa for individuals who were previously removed from the U.S. or have deportation orders pending.
The DOJ also sued Texas after it placed large buoys in the Rio Grande to block migrants crossing the river, and the department also challenged Texas’s placement of concertina wire alongside the border, arguing it interfered with U.S. immigration agents carrying out their jobs.
